Topics Page: Thirteen Principles of Faith

(1) All of the Jewish people, even sinners and those who are liable to be executed with a court-imposed death penalty, have a share in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, for My name to be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21). And these are the exceptions, the people who have no share in the World-to-Come, even when they fulfilled many mitzvot: One who says: There is no resurrection of the dead derived from the Torah, and one who says: The Torah did not originate from Heaven, and an epikoros, who treats Torah scholars and the Torah that they teach with contempt. Rabbi Akiva says: Also included in the exceptions are one who reads external literature, and one who whispers invocations over a wound and says as an invocation for healing: “Every illness that I placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord, your Healer” (Exodus 15:26). By doing so, he shows contempt for the sanctity of the name of God and therefore has no share in the World-to-Come. Abba Shaul says: Also included in the exceptions is one who pronounces the ineffable name of God as it is written, with its letters.

(16) The first principle To believe in the existence of the Creator, may He be blessed, and that is that there is a Being complete in all the ways of existence. He is the cause of the existence of all other things in existence. Through Him does their existence survive and from Him is their survival. And one cannot imagine the lack of His existence, since in the lack of His existence, the existence of all things dissolves and no thing's existence would survive. And if we were to imagine the lack of all other things in existence besides Him, the existence of God, may He be blessed, would not dissolve and not be diminished. Unity and Mastery only belong to God, may His name be blessed, since He suffices in His [own] existence. It is enough for Him to be by Himself and He doesn't need the existence of anything else. And everything besides Him of the angels and the bodies of the planets and what is in them and what is below them - all need Him for their existence. And this is the first principle, [and] it is indicated by the 'first commandment' - "I am the Lord, your God" (Exodus 20:2).

(1) This hymn, written by Daniel ben Yehuda, who was a Dayan in Rome about 1300, is based on Maimonides’ 13 principles of Judaism. According to Maimonides, failure to believe in a single one of these principles places one outside the pale of Judaism.

(2) 1) the existence of God

(3) Exalted is the living God, and praised He exists, and His existence transcends time.

(4) 2) God is One

(5) He is One, and there is no unity like His, He is invisible, His unity is infinite.

(6) 3) God is incorporeal

(7) He is unlike the corporeal or even the non-corporeal, His holiness is beyond comparison.

(8) 4) God is Eternal

(9) He preceded every being that was created, He was First, and there was no genesis to His beginning.

(10) 5) God alone must be worshipped

(11) He is Master of the Universe to every creature, (all) proclaim His greatness and His majesty.

(12) 6) Truth of Divine Prophecy

(13) The fullness of His prophecy, He bestowed on those He treasured, and in whom He gloried.

(14) 7) Moses was the greatest of all prophets

(15) There never arose in Israel another like Moses, a prophet who beheld God’s image.

(16) 8) Divine revelation of the Torah

(17) The Torah of truth the Almighty gave to His people through His prophet, the trusted one of His house.

(18) 9) The Torah is immutable

(19) The Almighty will not exchange nor alter His Law. Never will He offer any alternative.

(20) 10) God knows the acts and thoughts of man

(21) He scrutinizes and knows our secrets. He beholds the end of a thing at its beginning.

(22) 11) Divine reward and punishment

(23) He rewards man with kindness according to his deeds. He sends evil to the wicked according to his wickedness.

(24) 12) Belief in the coming of the Messiah

(25) He will send our Messiah at the end of days, to redeem all who await His final deliverance.

(26) 13) Divine resurrection of the dead

(27) The Almighty will revive the dead because of His abundant kindness: Blessed forever is His praised Name.

(1) Many great medieval scholars formulated articles of faith, among them Rav Saadya Gaon, Rav Yehuda Halevi, Rabbeinu Bachya. Maimonides, the foremost of them all, formulated thirteen principles that have attained wide recognition and enduring fame. The thirteen principles fall into three groups: The first five declare the existence of God as the Creator, One, incorporeal, eternal and alone worthy of man's worship. The next four deal with the Divine revelation of the Torah, the authenticity of prophecy, particularly that of Moses, and the immutability of the Torah. The last four deal with God in history, reward and punishment, belief in the coming of Messiah, and the resurrection of the dead.

(2) 1. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is the Creator and Guide of all created things, and He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.

(3) 2. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is unique, and there is no uniqueness like His in any manner; and that He alone is our God, Who was, is, and will ever be.

(4) 3. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is not corporeal, and that He is beyond all corporeal concepts, and there is nothing at all comparable to Him.

(5) 4. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is First and Last.

(6) 5. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is the only One to Whom it is proper to pray, and to no being beside Him is it proper to pray.

(7) 6. I believe with complete faith that all the words of the prophets are true.

(8) 7. I believe with complete faith that the prophecy of our teacher, Moses, may he rest in peace, was true, and that he was the father of all prophets, —of those who preceded him, and of those who followed him.

(9) 8. I believe with complete faith that the entire Torah which is now in our possession, is the very one that was given to our teacher Moses, may he rest in peace.

(10) 9. I believe with complete faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that no additional Torah [will be given] by the Creator, blessed is His Name.

(11) 10. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, knows all the deeds of men and all their thoughts, as it is said, He Who forms all their hearts as one, Who comprehends all their deeds.

(12) 11. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress His commandments.

(13) 12. I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah and even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I yearn every day for his coming.

(14) 13. I believe with complete faith that there will be a resurrection of the dead at a time that pleases the Creator, blessed is His Name, and His Name will be exalted forever and to all eternity.

(15) "For Your salvation I await, O Lord" (Genesis 49:18); I await, O Lord, for Your salvation; O Lord, for you Your salvation I await. "For Your salvation I await, O Lord" (Targum Onkelos Genesis 49:18); I await, O Lord, for Your salvation; O Lord, for you Your salvation I await. (The first sentence is in Hebrew, while the second is in Aramaic.)

(5) And if we say that he counts principles only and not merely true doctrines, why does he not include the principle that one should follow ancestral tradition? For it is a general principle of all divine laws, which cannot be conceived without it. Or why does he not include freedom of the will? For being a true doctrine, it is at the same time a principle, seeing that in the nature of things no law can be conceived without it. Maimonides himself, in the Book Madda‘, chapter 5 of the Rules Concerning Repentance, writes, Every human being is given freedom of choice; if he desires to follow the path of goodness and to be a righteous man, he has the freedom to do so … And then he says, This is a very important principle, and is at the basis of the Torah and the commandments, as is said, ‘See I have set before thee this day life and good …’, expatiating upon this principle at length in that chapter. It is very strange, therefore, that he did not include it among the principles in his commentary on the Mishnah, chapter Helek, where the thirteen dogmas are enumerated. In fine, the number of principles drawn up by Maimonides is subject to grave objections.

(6) I have seen a statement made that Maimonides selected the number thirteen because the divine attributes are thirteen and because thirteen is the number of the hermeneutical rules by which the Torah is interpreted. But it is extremely unlikely that Maimonides would omit such a doctrine as freedom of the will, which is a fundamental principle according to his own opinion, so that the number may not exceed thirteen. Besides this does not explain why he counts among the thirteen those which are not essential principles at all, as we have explained.

(1) When the Lord, your God, shall cut off the nations, etc." to, "If a prophet arises among you, etc." (Deuteronomy 12:29-13:2): In the chapters [entitled] Arba Mitot and Rebbe Yishmael in Sanhedrin, our Sages, may their memory be blessed, expounded this section to be about one worshipping idolatry in its fashion always being liable for it. As it is because [before this, the Torah] only punished for worshipping idolatry, with regard to sacrificing, raising incense, pouring a libation or bowing to anything besides God alone. So it came to teach here that if the way of [a certain] idolatry is to worship it with something else - like relieving oneself in front of Peor or throwing a stone at Markulis (Mercury), which is their worship - he is liable. But sacrificing, raising incense, pouring a libation or bowing is liable even when it is not like its form [of worship]. So did Rashi explain, may his memory be blessed. However according to this explanation, its stating (Deuteronomy 12:31), "You shall not act thus toward the Lord, your God," is difficult. And it indicates that it is not a warning that they should not worship their gods, but rather that they should not worship the glorious God with their worship. And hence the other commentators did well when they said that the intent of the commandment is that they should not worship the exalted One with these nations' [other forms of] worship. And also the Rabbi of the Guide (Guide for the Perplexed 3:45) explained like this. And according to this true opinion, the explanation of the verses would be according to what I say: "When He shall cut off, etc." - when God, may He be blessed, cuts off those nations from before you and the name of idolatry will be forgotten from the earth, do not think in your heart that God, may He be blessed, cut off the worshippers of other gods not on account of their worship being evil, but rather since they were giving honor and proper worship to the work of human hands, wood and stone. For it is not fitting to give glory to another, and give His praise to idols, just as sacrificing, raising incense, pouring a libation or bowing is forbidden besides only to God. And hence perhaps you would inquire about their gods. Meaning you would inquire and investigate, to know these divine services; not to worship them, but to do it for the glorious and awesome God, like these nations were doing for their gods, that it be good before Him. [Hence] "You shall not act thus toward the Lord, your God," since those types of worship that were practiced were abominable in themselves before God, may He be blessed. So how could they be chosen? And that is what it states, "because whatever is abominable to God, what He hates, they have done for their gods." And the proof for this is "that even their sons and their daughters do they burn in fire to their gods." And that is truly an abomination before God, may He be blessed, to spill innocent blood, as well as for man to be cruel to the fruit of his innards to not have mercy upon him. And it sealed its words (Deuteronomy 13:1), "Everything that I am commanding you, be careful to fulfill it; do not add to it and do not take away from it." Meaning to say, it is enough for you with what the Torah commanded you, that you should take care to do all of the commandments that I commanded you; and you should not add to them. For 'anyone who adds is taking away.' So it is enough for you with the sacrifices and the forms of worship that God, may He be blessed, commanded to do in His Temple. For He chose them, and not the worship of those nations. And behold this section comes in this place because above, it commanded that they should not worship God, may He be blessed, in those places where those nations were worshipping, but rather in the place that He would choose, with those gifts and sacrifices that it mentioned, and with the worship of the sacrifices that it mentioned, which were already explained in the book of Torah Kohanim (Leviticus). Hence after the Torah explained [about] the Chosen House (Temple), it stated that they should not think to add anything upon the commandments from the worship of the nations, for this would not be acceptable, but rather an 'abominable incense.' But regarding if it is possible that they add something from their hearts and their minds to the [varied prescribed forms of] worship of God - not from the worship of the gods of the nations - it would already seem from here that it would be permitted. For behold it only prohibited, "How did these nations worship their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:30). However it already prohibited this in Parshat Vaetchanan (Deuteronomy 4:2) in its stating, "Do not add to the matter that I am commanding you and do not take away from it; to guard the commandments of the Lord, your God." Indeed, the Rambam in the Commentary on the Mishnah in his mention of the principles [of faith] that he brought on the first mishnah in the chapter [entitled] Chelek, brought a proof about the eternity of the Torah from that which it stated here, "Everything that I am commanding you, be careful to fulfill it; do not add to it and do not take away from it." And the author of the Sefer HaIkkarim questioned him, by saying that this verse did not come to warn about the eternity of the Torah and the commandments, but rather about the way of doing them; that we should not learn the manner of the worship of their gods from worshippers of idolatry and it come from this to be an addition or reduction [to the Torah]. And this is as you can see from his words in Chapter 14 of Maamar 1 in his book. And I already responded to his words, in the book Rosh Amanah that I made on the principles [of faith], that the Rambam, may his memory be blessed, did not make any principle from a specific commandment; and je did not say that it is a principle of the Torah that we not add to the Torah or take away from it. Rather he said that the principle of faith is that the Torah is eternal, as it is [explained]. And as a proof about its eternity, he brought its saying, "Everything that I am commanding you, be careful to fulfill it." And [the verse] is a projection of the future. It is as if [Moshe] said, "These commandments that I am commanding you today are eternal from the angle of God, may He be blessed. So keep them forever and ever. And therefore, do not add to, and do not take away, from them. For how can people add or take away anything from their [own] hearts upon the thing that God, may He be blessed, made to stand permanently before Him?"

(2) An agent that acts with intention must have a certain ulterior object in that which he performs. This is evident, and no philosophical proof is required. It is likewise evident that that which is produced with intention has passed over from non-existence to existence. It is further evident, and generally agreed upon, that the being which has absolute existence, which has never been and win never be without existence, is not in need of an agent. We have explained this before. The question, “What is the purpose thereof?” cannot be asked about anything which is not the product of an agent; therefore we cannot ask what is the purpose of the existence of God. He has not been created. According to these propositions it is clear that the purpose is sought for everything produced intentionally by an intelligent cause; that is to say, a final cause must exist for everything that owes its existence to an intelligent being: but for that which is Without a beginning, a final cause need not be sought, as has been stated by us.

(6) And because God, may He be blessed, took and chose the Jewish people in particular from all of the nations to be His; He showed through this that He is unique. For since He is unique, He chose a unique nation, and not the nations as a whole. For this fosters the idea of oneness, that He should have a specific nation. For were there no unity here, He would not have chosen a unique nation. However since He is unique, He chose the unique. And this service is the service of a unique people to the One who is one.

(7) And that is the essence of this sacrifice, and that is why all of this service related to oneness. For the commandment of this sacrifice is to eat it, "with its legs and its inner organs" (Exodus 12:9), since it is not fitting for this sacrifice to be divided up, but rather, "its head with its legs and its inner organs." For something divided up is not one; as behold, it has portions. But something that is whole has oneness, since all of the content of this sacrifice is to show oneness. And likewise, "It shall be eaten in one house" (Exodus 12:46): This whole idea is that it is forbidden to divide a sacrifice between two group or that it is forbidden to eat it in two places - as it is a disagreement among Tannaim in Tractate Pesachim (86a). This whole thing is so that the process of the sacrifice be in a manner of oneness, and not in a manner of division.

§ The Gemara stated earlier that Aḥer chopped down the saplings, becoming a heretic. With regard to him, the verse states: “Do not let your mouth bring your flesh into guilt” (Ecclesiastes 5:5). The Gemara poses a question: What was it that led him to heresy? He saw the angel Mitatron, who was granted permission to sit and write the merits of Israel. He said: There is a tradition that in the world above there is no sitting; no competition; no turning one’s back before Him, i.e., all face the Divine Presence; and no lethargy. Seeing that someone other than God was seated above, he said: Perhaps, the Gemara here interjects, Heaven forbid, there are two authorities, and there is another source of power in control of the world in addition to God. Such thoughts led Aḥer to heresy. The Gemara relates: They removed Mitatron from his place in heaven and smote him with sixty rods [pulsei] of fire, so that others would not make the mistake that Aḥer made. They said to the angel: What is the reason that when you saw Elisha ben Avuya you did not stand before him? Despite this conduct, since Mitatron was personally involved, he was granted permission to erase the merits of Aḥer and cause him to stumble in any manner. A Divine Voice went forth saying: “Return, rebellious children” (Jeremiah 3:22), apart from Aḥer. Upon hearing this, Elisha ben Avuya said: Since that man, meaning himself, has been banished from that world, let him go out and enjoy this world. Aḥer went astray. He went and found a prostitute and solicited her for intercourse. She said to him: And are you not Elisha ben Avuya? Shall a person of your stature perform such an act? He uprooted a radish from a patch of radishes on Shabbat and gave it to her, to demonstrate that he no longer observed the Torah. The prostitute said: He is other than he was. He is not the same Elisha ben Avuya, he is Aḥer, other.

(2) א-ל קנא, I cannot tolerate that someone who worships Me worships also someone beside Me. The reason is that there is absolutely no comparison between Me and any other phenomenon in the universe. I am therefore entitled to stand on My dignity by refusing to be compared.

Similarly when one reads from the Prophets, a benediction is said as follows: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast chosen good prophets, and hast found pleasure in their words which were spoken in truth. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hast chosen the Torah and Moses Thy servant, and Israel Thy people, and the prophets of truth and righteousness’.

(10) Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses—whom יהוה singled out, face to face, (11) for the various signs and portents that יהוה sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, (12) and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before all Israel.

And these are the ones that do not have a share in the world to come, but are rather punished for their evil for all generations; they will not be able to turn away from [their punishment]: One who denies the revival of the dead, or that he says about it that it is not from the Torah, meaning that it is not from the faith of the prophets. And likewise someone who says the Torah is not from the Heavens, even if he says so only about one verse alone, that Moshe, our teacher, wrote it on his own. And an apikoros, and that is a word that includes many things. And they explained about it that it is one who denigrates a Torah scholar. But behold, [also] included in this are the heretics - and they are those that deny God's existence or His oneness or His simplicity (as opposed to being composite); those who worship idolatry even through an intermediary; and those who deny prophecy or God's omniscience. However since all of these did not fit into this statement and it was not necessary to mention them, they explained about this, that it is the one who they needed to mention, that it is regarding one who denigrates Torah scholars and, all the more so, his teachers. As from denigrating the scholar, one will denigrate his words and his wisdom, and will deny everything that is fitting to believe. So it comes out that even one who denies the explanation of the Torah - and that is the Oral Torah - is included in this. And [also] one who is recalcitrant even about one sin and the denigrates the holidays, or he profanes the sanctified objects. For all of these things indicate an angle of denial, which is not by way of the [evil] impulse or from desire. And likewise one who leads the many to sin, even about light things; and likewise those who separate themselves from the ways of the community, and instead set up their own standards, even though he does not do sins; and likewise one who does sins with a high hand, meaning to anger [God] and publicly and in the way of heresy. And likewise those who put too much fear upon the community for [their own] glory or power, and not for the sake of the Heavens. And likewise one who denies the coming of the Messiah. As all of these cause the destruction of the Torah. And they are all in the category of apikoros, and that is what they said more generally - "'He denigrated the word of God,' that is an apikoros." And [also] one who reveals aspects of Torah, meaning incorrectly; and that is someone who explains the commandments metaphorically in order to uproot the commandment. Rabbi Akiva says, "Also one who reads foreign books," meaning to say, not in order to understand and to teach, but rather with the intention to follow their faith. And you already know about them that they only believe what investigation reveals and what logic proves.

(8) You should know that behold the Rambam established the revival of the dead as the thirteenth principle of the thirteen principles of faith and wrote: And the revival of the dead is from the main fundamental principles of Moshe, our teacher - peace be upon him. And there is no religion and no attachment to the Jewish religion for the one who does not believe [in] this. But it is [only] for the righteous (...) And how should the evildoers be revived - as they are dead even in their lifetime? (...) And you should know that man, per force, must die and decompose and return to what he is composed of. (Rambam, Introduction to Chapter Chelek, Commentary on the Mishnah) And so this sage who was reputed for his knowledge of the truth focused on the ultimate end, so he left over everything beside it and [just] said, "All of Israel has a share in the world to come."

(9) From this we learned that the Rambam, may his memory be blessed, intended, [here] in these laws, to define the concept of the world to come found in the words of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, as referring to the world of souls, which is after death. And it is the ultimate good, which has nothing similar to it. The mouth cannot speak, nor the mind think, to describe its pleasure and its light. However there are other rewards, and they are the days of the Messiah and the revival of the dead.

(37) Also all, etc. that are not written in this book of the Torah (besefer haTorah hazot): See Rashi on Parshat Netzavim (Rashi Deuteronomy 29:20) - since the tifcha (a cantillation mark that indicates a pause before the words after that word) is under "in the book" (besefer), so "this" refers to the Torah (the reading would then be, "in the book of this Torah"); that is why "this" (hazot) is feminine. See there. For according to the one that holds, "And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the Torah of God" (Joshua 24:26), is about the [Torah's last] eight verses, from "And Moses died" (Deuteronomy 34:5) - if so, the death of the righteous like Moses, which protects the generation is written in the book of the Torah, but not in the Torah itself. For there is no Torah after the death of Moshe, as it stated (Malachi 3:22), "Remember the Torah of Moshe." And this is one of the thirteen principles [of faith].

(1) And behold it is known by all that the sin of anyone who does not believe in the coming of the Messiah at all is too great to bear. For he is missing one of the thirteen principles [of faith]. And likewise, someone who does not await his arrival - meaning someone who gives up on him for any reason whatsoever - is the first one's fellow and is considered a denier of the Torah (a heretic). For [these are the words] of the Rambam in the [Mishneh Torah,] Laws of Kings, Chapter 11: The King Messiah will arise and re-establish the monarchy of David as it was in former times. He will build the Sanctuary and gather in the dispersed of Israel. All the earlier statutes will be restored as they once were. Sacrifices will be offered, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years will be observed, as commanded in the Torah. Anyone who does not believe in him or one who does not await his arrival (perforce he means to say, that he gives up on him for any reason whatsoever) not only denies the Prophets, but also the Torah and Moses our teacher. For the Torah has given testimony about him saying, “And the Lord your God will return your captivity and have compassion with you. He will return and gather you… If any of you should be dispersed at the ends of Heaven, from there He will gather you... And the Lord your God will bring you to the land...” (Deut. 30:3-4). To here [are his words].

(32) And the thirteen principles emerge from the thirteen traits [of Divine mercy]. One principle comes from each and every trait. But before the explanation of this matter, I must preface it with an explanation of the thirteen traits. For Rashi spoke [only] briefly about their explanation. And [even though] the Tosafot in the first chapter of Rosh Hashanah, together with the Gloss on the Tosafot there, spoke at greater length about their explanation, it is still not completely sufficient.

(33) But I found in Hadarat Kodesh that [the author] wrote at length and expanded upon the intentions of Tosafot with small additions. Hence, I will quote his [words], may his memory be blessed: “Lord, Lord” – some explain that the first name [of God here] is not from the tally of thirteen, but is rather connected to, “and He called,” as if to say, “the Lord called, ‘Lord, God, Merciful, etc.’” But it is not so. For there is a cantillation mark that separates between, “and He called,” and the first name. Rather both of them are traits of mercy, one before a person sins and one for after a person sins and repents. This appears to be the opinion of Rashi. And Rabbenu Tam proves this from the Pesikta. As there it is found (see Pesikta Rabbati 31:5), “’And Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me”’ (Isaiah 49:14) – the Community of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Master of the Universe, those two good traits that You gave to me at Sinai, how did You forsake them, and how did You forget them?’” If so, it appears that they are two traits. And [regarding] the explanation of how it is understood from the name of God that it is a trait of mercy, it is because the name of four letters is the name of existence – was, is and will be (the letters of these three words in Hebrew are all contained in this name). [With it,] He brings into existence and sustains all that exists. So, if that is the case, He is their Father, as it is written (Deuteronomy 32:6), “is He not your Father, who made you, etc.?” So, His mercy is upon them like the mercy of a father for his children who walk in his ways. And this is the Lord before one sins. But when one sins and is a rebellious child and [a father] punishes him, but he [still] does not listen, it is said about them, (see Deuteronomy 21:19), ‘and his father takes him out, etc.’ So, he becomes cruel to him. But if he [then] listens to his parents, when they punish him, and he repents, they have mercy upon him and he will be saved. And this is the Lord after one sins and repents. If so, the two names are two traits of mercy.

(1) And the letters were sent by couriers (ratzim, literally runners), etc.:: It appears that the runners, meaning to say the five senses (chushim), are running - each one to acquire sensations. And that is why it is called a chush, from the usage, "hasten (chusha) to my aid" (Psalms 38:23). So he said that every one should do what it wants, the opposite of that which is stated (Isaiah 33:15), "shuts their eyes against looking at evil, etc." And he said that is the reason "to kill, to destroy, etc." And he said, "on a single day, on the thirteenth day of the month... Adar." I have already explained what it is (Mechir Yayin on Esther 3:7) - he means to say in the month of Adar, which is an expression of the powerful one (adir) of the Torah. And he thus said that this is all a reason to deny providence and all the rest of the Torah, which is the thirteen attributes or the thirteen principles [of faith]. For this is his saying, "to annihilate... on the thirteen(th)." He means to say that the killing and the destruction is this, to deny these thirteen. Instead one should believe that everything follows the power of the twelve constellations, and to believe that this is the greatness (adar) and praise of man. And this is [the meaning of] his saying, "the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions." He means to say, to make his goal to plunder money, to rob and to loot.

(1) And I will quote here a little of the principles that are required for our topic from the Thirteen Principles that the Rambam wrote in the Commentary on the Mishnah in the chapter [entitled] Chelek and which is brought by the Rabbi of Shvilei Emunah. And [these are his words]: The first principle is to believe that the Creator, may He be blessed, exists with complete existence, that He is the cause of the existence of all that exists and that the source of their existence is from Him. And if we could imagine the cessation of His existence, the existence of all that exists would be nullified. But if we were to imagine the nullification of totally everything that exists besides Him, His existence would not be nullified on their account, nor would it [even] be lacking. For the Creator, may He be blessed, is abounding; as He does not need the existence of anything else. And everything besides Him of intelligences, planetary bodies and that which is in them all need Him, may He be blessed, for their existence. [But] He does not need them. And this principle is hinted in the phrase, "I am the Lord, your God." And the second principle is His unity, may He be blessed. And that is to know that the Cause of everything is one. Not one that is a composite specie, like the human species which includes many individual people. Nor is He like one that is an individual within the specie, as you would say about an individual person, yet you would include 248 limbs in him. Nor is He one that is constructed, which can be divided into many ones. Nor is He like a simple (unconstructed) body which is unique, but can [still] be divided without end. For each one of these is called, "one," by way of borrowing [from the true meaning of the word]. For these things that are grouped together by that word are [only actually unified by being] the same regarding [that] one matter, but they are not truly one. Indeed, the true One is the unity of the Creator, may He be blessed, about whom there is no oneness like Him in any fashion. And that is His, may He be blessed, saying, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4). To here are his [words].